Clasp for garment-supporters.



J. G. COPELAND.

CLASP r03 GARMENT SUPPORTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 18, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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JAMES C. COPELAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1909.

Application filed June 18, 1908. Serial No. 439,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James C. COPELAND, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clasp forGarment-Supporters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to garment supporters, my more articular purposebeing to provide a meta lic member of a special use for supportinggarters and the like and comprising certain parts, some of which aremovable relatively to others, and so arranged as to facilitate theclasping and unclasping of the movable portions and for enabling themovable portions to spring automatically into the positions which theyoccupy when unclasped.

My invention further comprises further details of construction havinggeneral utility in relation to garment supporters of this general type.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an enlarged plan view of the device, showing it in itsabnormal condition, that is to say, unclasped and held open by its ownspring mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shownin Fig. 1, showing the spring as occupying the greatest angle it everassumes relatively to the backplate, this occurring when. the supporteris unclasped, and Fig. 3 is a substantially cen tral vertical sectionthrough the device complete, showing its lower end in engagement with astocking or analogous article of clothing to be supported.

The back-plate 4 of metal is provided with a longitudinal slot 5 and isfurther provided with a tongue 6 and with an opening 7. The tongue 6 isslightly curved, as indicated in Fig. 1, and is preferably made bystriking up the metal so as to form the opening 7 and provide the tongue6 at a single operation. The back-plate 4 is further provided with cars8, bent substantially into cylindrical form, and a single piece ofspring wire 8 is passed through these ears and bent back upon itself, soas to form a U-shaped member 9. A latch 10,-having approximately atriangular shape, is provided with a mutilation 11, a hook 12 being thusformed upon its upper end. The opposite end 13 is bent back upon thebody portion 10 and is also curved slightly at 14, so as to engage thelower end 15 of the U-shaped member 9. The garment to be supported isshown at 16, and the backplate 4 is supported by aid of a strap (notshown), extending through the slot 5.

My device is used as follows: The backplate 4 being supported as abovedescribed, the operator detaches the hook 12 from the tongue 6, therebyallowing the latch 10 to swing outwardly, as indicated. in Fig. 2, whichit does very readily under the impulse of the spring. The outer end 12of the latch is lowered still farther, if necessary, and the garment 16is passed upwardly between the spring 9 and the adjacent end of thelatch 10. The latch 10 is next swung upward at its free end, so that thehook 12 engages the tongue 6, as indicated in Fig. 3. In doing this thehook 12, because of its rotund form, engages the tongue 6 in such mannerthat pressure is needed in order to force the hook past the tongue; suchpressure being applied by the fingers, the hook 12 springs slightly tothe left, according to Fig. 1, and snaps underneath the tongue 6, whichallows the latch to spring slightly sidewise into its proper centralposition.

In order to release the garment 16 the reverse process is followed. Theoperator, by a slight pressure of the thumb or finger upon the latch 10forces it sidewise to the left, according to Fig. 1, thereby releasingthe hook 12. The pressure being removed, the upper or free end of thelatch 10 swings downward, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The spring connecting the latch 10 with the back-plate 4 performs twodistinct offices, to wit, it causes the latch 10 to swing outward whenthe hook 12 is released and it also causes the latch 10 to springlaterally into a central position when the hook 10 is forced past thetongue 6.

I find that considerable economy in manufacture is obtained by theconstruction above described, and further, that such construction isvery efficient in actual practice. The entire device consists of onlyone spring, and that consists of a single piece of wire. The cars 8 soencircle this spring as to hold it firmly and need not be soldered toit, but if desired they can be soldered or otherwise secured firmly inrelation to the spring.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a back plate pr0- vided with a tongue projectingfrom the proximate center thereof, said back plate being furtherprovided with cars, a single piece of spring wire extending through saidears and with a portion bent so as to form a substantially U-shapedmember, and a latch of sheet material provided with a hook for engagingsaid tongue, said latch being further provided with a portion bent backupon itself and engaging said U-shaped member, said latch also engaginga portion of said piece of spring wire at a point removed from saidU-shaped member.

2. The combination of a back plate provided with a slot and with anopening merging into said slot, and provided also with a tongue integralwith said back plate and struck up therefrom in forming said opening,said back plate being likewise provided with ears, a single piece ofspring wire threaded partially throu h said ears and bent so as to formtwo members, each of substantially U- shape, a latch journaled upon oneof said members and made of a piece of sheet material bent back uponitself and provided with a portion for engaging the other of said U-shaped members, said latch being further provided with a hook forengaging said tongue.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES C. COPELAND.

Witnesses MILTON ISAACS, CARRIE IsAAos.

